How city of Mirpur became 'Little England'

The city of Mirpur, in Pakistan-administered Kashmir, is known as "Little England" due to its large British Pakistani community. So what is life like for the city's many expats?

Mirpur's connection with Britain has made it a place quite unlike anywhere else in the region. You can see it in the huge villas.

"Where could I get a place like this in the UK?" says Zahoor from Ilford, as we crane our necks to get a full view of his dazzling palatial creation, complete with terraces and towers.

But even that is nothing compared to his most recent foray into development Mirpuri-style. He has now finished building an entire "British street".

"It's a home away from home for UK Pakistanis," he says, proudly showing me the little semi-detached houses and their neat gardens that he hopes to sell on.

"They'll even have British-style rubbish collections."

Not far away is evidence of another Brit who has invested heavily here.

Rafay is rushing around his plush, four-storey bakery and restaurant, where he employs around 100 staff.

All my skills were learned in Yorkshire, taught to me by my fatherRafay, Bakery and restaurant owner

In the kitchens, he gives instructions on new cake designs. In the restaurant, he samples new dishes he has dreamed up.

"All my skills were learned in Yorkshire, taught to me by my father," he says.

"It's because of his hard work that I'm where I am now."

The story of Rafay's father, Saleem, is the story of Mirpur.

In the 1960s, the original town, where Saleem lived - along with scores of villages around it - was submerged.

With the help of an English firm, Pakistan had built a huge hydro-electric dam on the Jhelum River close by.

It meant that more than 100,000 people had to leave their homes.

But the British government needed more workers at the time, and decided to give many of the Mirpur evictees permits so they could go to the UK to work in factories in the Midlands and the north of England.

From Our Own Correspondent

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